The disappearance of the lightning was apparently due to an El Nio event during this time, which was responsible for a severe drought in Venezuela, when rainfall was extremely scanty and rivers nearly completely dried up. This amazing spectacle of nature is often visible as a brightly illuminated night sky from as far away as 400 kilometers from the origin of the lightning strikes. And the spectacular phenomenon may even be responsible for Venezuela's independence. [14] The methane model is based on the symmetry properties of methane. Catatumbo Lightning is sometimes referred to as Venezuela's "eternal thunderstorm," or the . That's about 28 lighting strikes every minute enough energy to power 100 million light bulbs. The Catatumbo Lightning, also known as the Beacon of Maracaibo or the "everlasting storm", is seasonal lightning around Lake Maracaibo (13,200 square kilometres) in northern Venezuela. But ngel Muoz, now an associate research scientist at Columbia Universitys International Research Institute for Science and Society, told a Venezuelan newspaper in 2014 that the time it would take for the ozone produced by the Catatumbo lightningto ascend to the ozone layer is at least six months, so we do not see a viable mechanism for it to contribute to the regeneration of the planetary ozone layer.. Storms rage for almost 300 nights every year and are fueled by a strong Caribbean Jetstream, more than 10.000 square kilometers of low lying water that heats up tremendously in the tropical sun and the cold wind that flows into the lake basin from the Andes, that are situated on three sides of Lake Maracaibo. In the 1960s, it was believed that the high volumes of uranium deposits in the bedrock of the region could attract lightning strikes to the lake. It doesn't actually strike nonstop, however over the past decades, the lightning episodes occluded about 150 a year. Here, the night sky is regularly illuminated for nine hours at a time, with lightning striking the sky at the rate of about 28 strikes per minute. Discover The lightning capital of the world. In Venezuela, at the mouth of the Catatumbo River where it meets the Lake Maracaibo, a unique and impressive natural phenomenon, variously known as the "Catatumbo lightning", the "Beacon of Maracaibo" or the Everlasting Storm, captures the eyes and attention of all observers there to witness it. Catatumbo lightning (Spanish: Relmpago del Catatumbo)[1] is an atmospheric phenomenon that occurs over the mouth of the Catatumbo River where it empties into Lake Maracaibo in Venezuela. However, as of yet, in the absence of sufficient proof, it is though that a combination of various factors, including the land topography and wind patterns, could be responsible for the everlasting storm. Download Now He concluded that the lightning has several epicenters in the marshes of Juan Manuel de Aguas National Park, Claras Aguas Negras, and west Lake Maracaibo. [11], Catatumbo lightning usually develops between .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}830N 710W / 8.500N 71.000W / 8.500; -71.000 (Approximate outer limit) and 945N 730W / 9.750N 73.000W / 9.750; -73.000 (Approximate outer limit). Part 1. Scientists think the Catatumbo, named for a river that runs into the lake, is normal lightning that just happens to occur far more than anywhere else, due to local topography and wind patterns.. "What is the luminous phenomenon known by the name of the Maracaybo lantern that is seen every night on the seaside as well as in the interior of the country [? Reporte Pblico CMC-01-2015. [5][3][6], There are several references by colonial Portuguese and Spanish sources, that name this phenomenon as "Lanterns of Saint Anthony" or the "Lighthouse of Maracaibo", as also noted by Alexander Walker in 1822. Muoz, .G., Daz-Lobatn, J., 2012: Los Relmpagos del Catatumbo y el Flujo Energtico Medio en la Cuenca del Lago de Maracaibo. Elec., Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Brazil. Catatumbo lightning, as the phenomenon is called, is as spectacular as it sounds, appearing 5 days out of 6, for hours, with up to nearly 30 lightning strikes per minute! According to experts at Zulia State University in Venezuela, Catatumbo lighting is most active during the rainy season in September and October, and least active in January and February, the dry season. Find Catatumbo lightning stock images in HD and millions of other royalty-free stock photos, illustrations and vectors in the Shutterstock collection. The storm is not an odd fierce strike here and there. Almost 300 nights a year, a lightning storm rages in a small part of Venezuela. Reporte pblico CMC-GEO-DDI-02-2011. The Catatumbo lightning usually develops between coordinates 830N 710W and 945N 730W. According to NASA, the energy released during just 10 minutes of Catatumbo lightning could illuminate the whole of South America. In 1981, then-surfer Alan Highton came to Venezuela from his native Barbados, in love with a local girl. Dec 8, 2016 16K Dislike Share Save Great Big Story 6.07M subscribers Lake Maracaibo, Venezuela, is the unofficial lightning capital of the world. These storms can last up to 10 hours and produce 280 strikes of lightning per hour. 5:44. Browse 27 catatumbo lightning stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. Furthermore, it should be noted that this lightning is also unique in that it occurs in the ozone of the troposphere instead of from typical storm clouds. The storms are thought to be the result of winds blowing across Lake Maracaibo and the surrounding swampy plains. Known as Relmpago del Catatumbo, the storm is located where the Catatumbo River flows into Lake Maracaibo.Warm air . The index seems to capture well the compound effect of multiple climate drivers. Conf. Download this Catatumbo Lightning From A Distance photo now. 8 Catatumbo Lightning Premium Video Footage Browse 8 catatumbo lightningstock videos and clips available to use in your projects, or start a new search to explore more stock footage and b-roll video clips. The highest volume at Relmpago del Catatumbo can be up to 3,600 bolts in one hours, which means one per second. Now thanks to the tireless efforts of local campaigners the Catatumbo Lightning has been officially recognized by the Guiness Book of Records 2015 as the place with the largest number of annual lighting strikes per kilometer, a title which used to belong to the Congolese town of Kifuka. The phenomenon has been known for centuries as the "Lighthouse of Maracaibo", since it is visible for miles around Lake Maracaibo. Filmed as part of the \"Angry Planet\" TV series.Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gkourounis/Twitter: https://twitter.com/georgekourounisFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/ExplorerGeorgeKourounis/Produced by: www.peterrowe.tv 20 p. Albrecht, R., et al., 2011. Several traditional songs of the Zulia State and the regional anthem mention it, and since 1991, it has been pictured on the Zulia State flag. 1. Great video footage that you won't find anywhere else. [17][18][19][20] Using satellite data, two groups of researchers have provided analyses of the lightning's location, timing and number of discharges per square kilometer. It seems that [] the electrical matter is concentrated in those places, in which it is observed every night a luminous phenomenon that is like lightning that from time to time ignites the air, he wrote. Sometimes it lasts as long as 10 hours per day, with as many as 300 lightning strikes per hour. The study also showed that the forecast accuracy is significantly higher when an index based on a combination of winds and convective available potential energy (CAPE) is used. ], he wrote in Personal Narrative of a Journey to the Equinoctial Regions of the New Continent (translated from Spanish). The "Catatumbo Lightning": Venezuela's eternal storm. km every single year. In the video above, it is easy to see how quickly the strikes add up once the storm cells hit the lake. Splashes of lightning are seen in a radius of about 400 kilometers - you can watch them at any point round the lake. Here thunder strikes and lightning are predictable and go with an unbroken consistency. On July 24, 1823, the electrical storm acted like a lighthouse for the naval forces of Admiral Jos Prudencio Padilla, who managed to defeat to a squadron of Spanish ships in the battle of Lake Maracaibo. Unfortunately for Kifuka there is a new kid on the block, claiming a far higher frequency of lightning discharges. The only time the Catatumbo lightning disappeared for an extended period of time in the previous century was in 1906, when it vanished for nearly three weeks. Even though previously the mountain village of Kifuka in the Democratic Republic of Congo in Central Africa was know to be the most electric place on Earth, with 158 lightning flashes per square kilometer each year, the Catatumbo lightning has surpassed this figure with 250 lightning flashes per square kilometer each year. Lenght: 2 Days / 1 Night. 2019 Majestic Skies Calendar - http://lightningdude.comThe Lightning Camp in the Heart of Venezuela's Maracaibo Lake is situated just few kilometers South of earth's (by far) most electric place where the Catatumbo Lightning happens. It occurs only over the mouth of the Catatumbo River where it empties into Lake Maracaibo. [7] Based on M. Palacios book "Viage de Varinas", Prussian naturalist and explorer Alexander von Humboldt described the lightning in 1826. " In 2014, Guinness World Records gave the Catatumbo lightning the award for the highest concentration of lightning in the world. The "Relmpago del Catatumbo" ('Catatumbo lightning') is a unique phenomenon in the world. Muoz, .G., Nez, A., Chourio, X., Daz-Lobatn, J., Mrquez, R., Moretto, P., Jurez, M., Casanova, V., Quintero, A., Zurita, D., Colmenares, V., Vargas, L., Salcedo, M.L., Padrn, R., Contreras, L., Parra, H., Vaughan, C., Smith, D., 2015: Reporte Final de la Expedicin Catatumbo: Abril 2015. Sometimes referred to as Venezuela's "eternal thunderstorm," the Catatumbo Lightning doesn't actually fire nonstop, but for at least a few centuries, it has occurred around 150 times per year. [2] It originates from a mass of storm clouds at an altitude of more than 1km (0.6mi), and occurs during 140 to 160 nights a year, nine hours per day, and with lightning flashes from 16 to 40 times per minute. [clarification needed][21][22][15], A 2016 study showed that it is possible to forecast lightning in the Lake Maracaibo basin up to a few months in advance, based in the variability of the Lake Maracaibo Low-Level Jet and its interactions with predictable climate modes like the ENSO and the Caribbean Low-Level Jet. [23], Coordinates: 92039N 714238W / 9.34417N 71.71056W / 9.34417; -71.71056 (Approximate center), Walker, Alexander (1822). Using data collected between 1997 and 2015 by NASAs lightning image sensor on its Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission satellite, researchers identified the Catatumbo zone of Lake Maracaibo as the lightning capital of the world. Another driver's dashcam footage captured the moment the man drove through red . With 250 strikes, Venezuela's Lake Maracaibo region lands in the 2015 Guinness Book of World Records as the place with the most lightning bolts per square kilometer each year. The amazing Catatumbo lightning can be seen from far away and was once used by Caribbean sailors as a navigational aid. lightning strikes anywhere on the planet, but in a few places on earth an accumulation of clouds forms, flashing almost every night for thousands and thousands of years and from those few places the place where a phenomenon like this occurs most constantly according to research of the nasa is venezuela, in the south of the lake of the state There, warm waters from the Caribbean Sea flow into the lake, where the hot sun draws up moisture into the air and traps it among the slopes. Codazzi, an Italian adventurer, geographer, and cartographer, moved to Venezuela following its independence from the Spanish Empire. Getty Images offers exclusive rights-ready and premium royalty-free analog, HD, and 4K video of the highest quality. The rayo del Catatumbo (Catatumbo lightning), also known as the Faro de Maracaibo (Maracaibo beacon), puts forth an average of 232.52 flashes of lightning per square kilometer each year. How the lightning forms. Lightning strikes over Lake Maracaibo in the village of Ologa, in Zulia state, Venezuela, on September 6, 2021. Wiggly mouse-drawn comics where balls represent different countries. Oh no! The original name was rib a-ba or "river of fire". But the most likely explanation lies in the mechanics of wind and the unique topographic conditions of the region, specially at the lakes southern confluence with the Catatumbo River. Browse 27 catatumbo lightning stock photos and images available or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. It happens that Catatumbo Lightning, known in Spanish as Relmpago de Catatumbo, is a unique meteorological phenomenon that illuminates the skies nearly half of the year! Storms rage for almost 300 nights every year and are fueled by a strong Caribbean Jetstream, more than 10.000 square kilometers of low lying water that heats up tremendously in the tropical sun and. Catatumbo Lightning Tour Tour of 3 days and 2 nights. Lightning activity is so common there that it has a proper name, Catatumbo Lightning, named for the Catatumbo region located in the southwest corner of the basin. Universidad del Zulia. There's even a name for it Catatumbo lightning. When his family moved to Lake Maracaibo four years later, the epicenter of that eternal storm, he met . Open Now. - CATATUMBO LIGHTNING AND SOUTH OF THE MARACAIBO LAKE, 2 DAYS/ 1 NIGHT. Only apparent unique characteristic of this phemonemon is that the storms are to! 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